memeorandum: Is This How Avenatti Found Out? — TPM Reader TH thinks … (Josh Marshall/Talking Points Memo)

11:30 PM ET, May 8, 2018

Top Items:

CNN:

Exclusive: Mueller's team questions Russian oligarch about payments to Cohen — (CNN)Special counsel Robert Mueller's investigators have questioned a Russian oligarch about hundreds of thousands of dollars in payments his company's US affiliate made to President Donald Trump's personal attorney …

New York Times:

Firm Tied to Russian Oligarch Made Payments to Michael Cohen — A shell company that Michael D. Cohen used to pay hush money to a pornographic film actress received payments totaling more than $1 million from an American company linked to a Russian oligarch and several corporations with business …

Discussion: National Review, Mother Jones, NPR, Washington Press, HuffPost, CBS Los Angeles, Raw Story, Joe.My.God. and Mediaite

Noah Shachtman / The Daily Beast:

Michael Cohen Took Cash From Russian Oligarch After Election — The Daily Beast can confirm that Donald Trump's personal lawyer Michael Cohen received hundreds of thousands of dollars from a company controlled by Putin-aligned Russian oligarch Viktor Vekselberg.

Discussion: Splinter, Little Green Footballs, Axios, ThinkProgress, Politico, Raw Story, Awful Announcing, Bustle, Lawyers, Guns & Money and CNN

Paul Campos / New York Magazine:

Here's a Theory About That $1.6 Million Payout From a GOP Official to a Playboy Model — On May 2, Rudy Giuliani revealed that the Trump administration has been lying for months about the fact that Donald Trump reimbursed his personal attorney Michael Cohen for the $130,000 he fronted …

Discussion: Lawyers, Guns & Money, Hullabaloo, Mediaite, CANNONFIRE, New York Post, Raw Story, Shakesville and Taylor Marsh

Josh Marshall / Talking Points Memo:

Is This How Avenatti Found Out? — TPM Reader TH thinks he knows where Michael Avenatti got his amazingly specific details. And it sounds right to me ... I have no idea who leaked this or whether it was a leak per se. But this is extraordinarily detailed information. It all seems accurate.

NBC News:

Daniels' lawyer: Cohen got $500K from Russian oligarch Viktor Vekselberg — Michael Avenatti provided no documentation for his claims, which he posted on Twitter — Stormy Daniels' attorney claimed Tuesday that President Donald Trump's personal lawyer Michael Cohen received $500,000 …

Discussion: Washington Press, Raw Story, IJR and Washington Times

Josh Marshall / Talking Points Memo:

Tonight's Staggering Revelations — Tonight we have what I'd say may be the most staggering revelations since the tangle of “Trump/Russia” investigations began almost two years ago. This is not hyperbole. — Late this afternoon Stormy Daniels' attorney Michael Avenatti posted what he called a …

Discussion: The Mahablog

Natasha Bertrand / The Atlantic:

Trump's Two Biggest Scandals Converge In a Single Tweet — The attorney for adult-film performer Stormy Daniels made an explosive claim on Tuesday, merging the two biggest scandals of Donald Trump's presidency in a single tweet—and setting off a frenzy of fresh speculation about the Trump campaign's possible ties to Russia.

Discussion: HuffPost, Political Wire, Mediaite, Vox and Joe.My.God.

Dan Mangan / CNBC:
AT&T confirms it paid Trump lawyer Michael Cohen for ‘insights’ on administration

Discussion: Washington Press, What The Fuck … and Engadget, more at Techmeme »

Bloomberg: Michael Cohen Puts Up Family Apartment Against Bank Debts

Washington Post: Trump's attorney Michael Cohen was hired by U.S. affiliate of Russian company

CNNMoney:
AT&T confirms it paid Trump lawyer Michael Cohen's company

Discussion: The Atlantic, CNN and Joe.My.God., more at Mediagazer »

Bloomberg:
Russian Oligarch Tied to Trump's Lawyer in Stormy Bombshell

Discussion: Mediaite

Mark Landler / New York Times:

Trump Withdraws U.S. From ‘One-Sided’ Iran Nuclear Deal — WASHINGTON — President Trump declared on Tuesday that he was pulling out of the Iran nuclear deal, unraveling the signature foreign policy achievement of his predecessor, Barack Obama, and isolating the United States among its Western allies.

Barack Obama:

There are few issues more important to the security of the United States than the potential spread of nuclear weapons, or the potential for even more destructive war in the Middle East. That's why the United States negotiated the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) in the first place.

Washington Post:
Why Trump torpedoed Obama's Iran deal

Discussion: Politico

GOV.UK:
Joint statement from Prime Minister May, Chancellor Merkel and President Macron following …

Discussion: ABC News, The Times of Israel, The Guardian, France 24, Breitbart, Axios, Lawfare, Shareblue Media and Washington Monthly

Eli Lake / Bloomberg:
Trump Is Now Free to Fight for Iranian Freedom

Discussion: The Federalist

Aaron Rupar / ThinkProgress: Trump was asked the most basic question about his Iran deal decision. He had no answer.

Jennifer Rubin / Washington Post:
5 big consequences of Trump's Iran blunder

Discussion: The White House

Bret Stephens / New York Times:
A Courageous Trump Call on a Lousy Iran Deal

Discussion: Washington Free Beacon and Viking Pundit

Jennifer Williams / Vox:
Read: Trump's Iran nuclear deal speech full text

Discussion: Washington Post, The White House, New York Times and Breitbart

David E. Sanger / New York Times:
Behind Trump's Termination of Iran Deal Is Risky Bet That U.S. Can ‘Break the Regime’

Discussion: IJR, CNBC, Washington Free Beacon, Washington Post and Breitbart

Thomas Erdbrink / New York Times:
Iranians Fear Deeper Crisis as Trump Ends Nuclear Deal

Discussion: Power Line, New York Magazine, Shareblue Media, The Week and Political Wire

Charlie Savage / New York Times:

9/11 Planner, Tortured by C.I.A., Asks to Tell Senators About Gina Haspel — WASHINGTON — President Trump's nomination of Gina Haspel to lead the C.I.A. has revived debate over the agency's post-Sept. 11 interrogation program and still-murky questions about her involvement.

Discussion: Washington Times, The Daily Caller, twitchy.com, National Review, Washington Free Beacon, Mediaite, Axios, Raw Story and Washington Post

Morgan Chalfant / The Hill:

Senate Intel: Russia waged ‘unprecedented’ cyber campaign on U.S. voting systems — The Senate Intelligence Committee on Tuesday released the unclassified version of its investigation into Russian cyberattacks on digital U.S. voting systems ahead of the 2016 presidential election.

Discussion: Balloon Juice

New York Times: Russia Tried to Undermine Confidence in Voting Systems, Senators Say

Alex Pappas / Fox News:

Patrick Morrisey pulls off upset in West Virginia Senate primary, beats Blankenship and Jenkins — DEVELOPING... The Fox News Decision Desk can now project a winner in the West Virginia Republican Senate primary. State Attorney General Patrick Morrissey will beat Congressman Evan Jenkins …

Halimah Abdullah / ABC News:

LIVE UPDATES: Big stakes in West Virginia, Indiana, Ohio bellwether primaries — The candidates who emerge victorious from a fierce faceoff Tuesday night in tough and pricey primary battles in Indiana, North Carolina, Ohio and West Virginia will provide critical clues into which party might …

Discussion: Vox, Politico, Mediaite, The Guardian, The Hill, Breitbart, Axios, NPR, Fox News Insider, National Review and IJR

New York Times:
West Virginia Primary Election Results

Discussion: New Yorker, Splinter, Axios, The Daily Beast, New York Magazine, HuffPost, Lawyers, Guns & Money, Hot Air, Weekly Standard, ProPublica, Daily Kos and Balloon Juice

CNN:
Don Blankenship concedes in West Virginia GOP Senate primary

Discussion: National Review, Joe.My.God. and Mediaite

Yashar Ali / HuffPost:

NY Legislature Has Plan In Place To Consider Replacements For Eric Schneiderman — A bipartisan committee will look at successors for the state attorney general, who has resigned in disgrace. Its recommendations might not mean much, though. — Leaders of the New York State Legislature …

Discussion: AOL

Megan McArdle / Washington Post:
I went back to the man who hit me. Why?

Discussion: New York Times, New York Post and AmmoLand.com

Jesse McKinley / New York Times:
Eric Schneiderman's Reputation: From 'Wouldn't Get a Bawdy Joke' to Brute, Overnight

Discussion: New York Post, HuffPost and City Journal

Kate Sheehy / New York Post:
Woman details nightmare date with ‘repulsive’ Schneiderman

Discussion: New York Times, CNN, Contemptor and Fox News Insider

Washington Post:

Risk to intelligence source who aided Russia investigation at center of latest showdown between Nunes and Justice Dept. — Last Wednesday, senior FBI and national intelligence officials relayed an urgent message to the White House: Information being sought by House Intelligence Committee Chairman Devin Nunes …

Discussion: Axios, Raw Story, Democracy21 and Mediaite

Jeremy Barr / Hollywood Reporter:

MSNBC Under Fire After Host Hugh Hewitt Helped Broker Meeting With EPA Leader — “We'll get back to you,” an MSNBC spokesman told THR when asked about the host's role in brokering a meeting between EPA head Scott Pruitt and lawyers at his firm representing a California water district.

Discussion: The Daily Beast, Media Matters for America, New York Magazine, Raw Story, Shareblue Media, Joe.My.God. and Mediaite

New York Times: New Files Shed Light on the Day Guards Smashed Scott Pruitt's Door

Media Matters for America:
The Washington Post's Hugh Hewitt problem

Discussion: Politico, more at Mediagazer »

Yonhap News Agency:

N. Korea to release 3 U.S. captives: Cheong Wa Dae official … North Korea is expected to release three U.S. citizens held in the communist state on Wednesday, an official from Seoul's presidential office Cheong Wa Dae said, in an apparent goodwill gesture ahead of a historic meeting between …

Discussion: Axios, Raw Story and The Right Scoop

Mike Pompeo / US Department of State:
Remarks to the Traveling Press

Discussion: Washington Press

Katie Jane Fernelius / News, Indy Week:

A Duke University VP Walked Into the Campus Joe Van Gogh, Heard a Rap Song, Demanded That the Employees Be Fired — On Monday, two employees of Duke University's Joe Van Gogh location had their contracts terminated after vice president for student affairs Larry Moneta and executive director …

Discussion: Raw Story

Jim Morrill / The Charlotte Observer:

Challenger Mark Harris on verge of upsetting U.S. Rep. Pittenger of NC — Former Charlotte pastor Mark Harris was leading Rep. Robert Pittenger in Tuesday's primary in North Carolina's 9th District, threatening to make him the first incumbent in the country to lose this year.

New York Times:

Meet the Renegades of the Intellectual Dark Web — An alliance of heretics is making an end run around the mainstream conversation. Should we be listening? — By Bari WeissPhotographs by Damon Winter — Here are some things that you will hear when you sit down to dinner with the vanguard …

Discussion: National Review, Washington Post, Mother Jones, ECHIDNE OF THE SNAKES, alicublog, Le·gal In·sur·rec· tion, Splinter, Media Matters for America and Patterico's Pontifications

Kim Dacey / WBAL:

Deputy shoots groundhog blocking traffic in Carroll County — HIDE TRANSCRIPT SHOW TRANSCRIPT — ELDERSBURG, Md. — A Carroll County sheriff's deputy shot a groundhog that was holding up traffic Monday morning. — The Sheriff's Office said the deputy was traveling …

Discussion: Deadspin

Ruby Cramer / BuzzFeed:

Richard Cordray Just Won Ohio's Democratic Primary. His Party Thinks Trump Will Help Make Him Governor. — “People in Ohio know there's an opportunity here we have not had in a very long time.” — Reporting From — Richard Cordray, the Democrat who entered the Ohio governor's race with endorsements …

Aileen Chuang / Associated Press:

Vice president's brother wins GOP bid for his old House seat — INDIANAPOLIS (AP) — The brother of Vice President Mike Pence capitalized on his famous name and backing from other top Republicans to win an Indiana congressional primary Tuesday against an entrepreneur who mostly self-funded his campaign.

Discussion: Talking Points Memo and Axios